A Timeshare at the International Space Station?

It looks like the "last frontier" may be closer than you think for timeshare - a recent article from mashable.com says maybe even by 2020! A partnership between Boeing and Lockheed Martin called United Launch Alliance (ULA), and Bigelow Aerospace are collaborating on how to launch a small (330 cubic meters) apartment-like habitat to attach to the International Space Station (ISS) or float freely as an autonomous space station.


NASA Primary Customer

The habitat would serve as a test bed for industry partners and science organizations interested in launching experiments to space.  Founder and President of Bigelow Aerospace, Robert Bigelow, hopes that NASA would be the primary customer and give permission to the partners to commercialize. 

"Essentially we would be time-sharing," said Bigelow at a National Space Symposium press conference. ULA President and CEO, Tony Bruno added, "How exciting is that? A timeshare in space? Come on." The habitat called B330, could also be a short-stay tourist destination for those wanting to explore what life in space is really like.  


Democratizing Space

Bigelow and Bruno see their partnership as a major step toward democratizing space. They'd love to see companies brand their own space station - maybe even a Disney space station. Sure to be timeshares there!


Virgin Galactic Transportation 

In related space hospitality news - Virgin Galactic is moving forward on their quest to provide space flight to all people. Its purpose - to become the spaceline for Earth; democratizing access to space for the benefit of life on Earth. Its aim - to make space accessible to almost anyone who dreams of viewing Earth from space and experiencing weightlessness. 


Become a Virgin Galactic Astronaut

It won't be easy to become a Virgin Galactic Astronaut. Safety of their passengers, crew and vehicles is their top priority. First, you'll have to prove that you don't have any medical conditions that would prevent you from flying into space, and then you'll have to submit an application of the Virgin Galactic Future Astronaut submission form. If accepted (and this may be what stops most of us), you have to give them the full price of $250,000 as an upfront deposit. Only then can you go through the three days of intense pre-flight training at Spaceport America, where you'll learn all the good stuff such as tips on how to be the most comfortable in macrogravity. Have a good flight!

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